Volunteering Matters: awards, stories, ideas & training

Hello and welcome to the October edition of Volunteering Matters!

Keep reading for good news about the 2022 Volunteer Ireland Awards; updates from Volunteer Centres supporting displaced people; spooky ideas for Halloween volunteering; and details of our upcoming training sessions!

 
Volunteer Ireland Awards: Nomination deadline extended

Nominate a volunteer before Midnight, Sunday, 16 October

Because you asked us nicely! 😊 We're giving you more time to submit volunteer nominations! But don't dilly dally any longer – all nominations MUST be in by next Sunday, 16 October.

We've extended the deadline not only due to demand, but also because we're hoping to receive more nominations in some categories.

We'd especially love more nominations for volunteers involved in:


🎭 Arts, Culture & Festivals
📣 Campaigning & Activism
🌍 Environmental & Animal Care
🚨 Safety & Emergency
⚽ Sports & Recreation

The Volunteer Ireland Awards celebrate the amazing volunteers who enrich our communities. Nominate a volunteer, group of volunteers, or a volunteer manager. Everyone nominated receives a thank you card no matter what.

NOMINATE A VOLUNTEER

 
Ireland's volunteers continue to support displaced Ukrainian people

Updates from Dublin & Roscommon

South Dublin Volunteer Centre announced last week that their vital work in the CityWest Refugee Transit Hub will continue into 2023. Fair play to this dedicated crew of volunteers who have been at the coalface of emergencies since March 2020! 🙌🙌

Volunteers at the CityWest Refugee Transit Hub, Dublin

Meanwhile, Ukrainian residents in Roscommon wanted to give something back to the volunteers who helped them settle into Ireland, and what better way to celebrate than with food! 💙💛 Roscommon Volunteer Centre recently held an event celebrating the volunteers who supported displaced Ukrainian people in the area. A group of Ukrainian residents cooked delicious Ukrainian foods, then came together with volunteers to enjoy food, music, and games. A great evening was had by all!

Cooking up a feast in Roscommon.

If you’d like to volunteer to support displaced persons living in Ireland, please visit volunteer.ie/ukraine for information.

VOLUNTEER.IE/UKRAINE

 
Get into the spirit of things this Halloween! 👻

Halloween volunteering opportunities

🧛 If you're in Dublin, the Bram Stoker Festival is recruiting volunteers to help out on Halloween weekend. You'll be supporting the smooth running of spooky events and making sure visitors have a spectacular, spine-tingling time. Learn more on their website.

Outside of Dublin? Contact your local Volunteer Centre to find out about Halloween volunteering in your area. (Every county in the Republic of Ireland has a Volunteer Centre ☘️)

Bram Stoker Festival volunteers

 
Has volunteering made you happier? 😊

Share your volunteering story with us

We'd love to hear from you if volunteering has made you ✨happier✨. October is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we're looking for stories from people who feel volunteering has helped their wellbeing. Please email [email protected] if that sounds like you. We'll follow up with a 5-minute phone call and your story might feature on our social media!

EMAIL [email protected]

 
And lastly,

Does your organisation engage volunteers, or do you work as a Volunteer Manager? Then don't miss our upcoming training sessions!

Certified Volunteer Administrator info session

Tue 18 October

Free online session about becoming certified in Volunteer Administration, and why certification may be right to you.

The role of ethics in Volunteer Engagement

Thu 3 November


Free online session. Learn a process for ethical decision-making related to volunteer engagement.

Fundamentals of garda vetting

Mon 7 November

Learn how garda vetting applies to your organisation and how to ensure good practice in implementation.

OUR FULL TRAINING CALENDAR

 
www.volunteer.ie
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